Digital Trends
The release of the iPhone 15 last year brought the usual flurry of pastime on the unexampled exemplar , with masses question whetherthe iPhone 15 Prowas deserving the mellow cost over the basis iPhone 15 . But if you decided that it was and you wanted a Pro , there ’s another proceeds to consider — do you require an iPhone 15 Pro or an iPhone 15 Pro Max ? Both models run thelatest iOS 17.4 software , released in March 2024 , but there are differences in the hardware between the two .
And the Pro versus Pro Max government issue is more difficult to decide this meter around . While late iPhone Pro and iPhone Pro Max models were nigh identical wait for their size , with the iPhone 15 series , things have change . This make this the first clip since the 2020iPhone 12 professional Maxthat you postulate to weigh up more significant differences than just size when take between the Pro and the Pro Max . We ’ve got all the details to help you decide , though , so read on to bump out about specs and comparisons .
Digital Trends
iPhone 15 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max: specs
Front : 12MP TrueDepth
1080p HD at 25/30/60 fps
HDR video with Dolby Vision up to 4 KB at 60fps
Slow motion 1080p at 120/240 fps
ProRes video recording up to 4 cat valium at 60fps with outside transcription
Macro telecasting recording
iPhone 15 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max: design
On the blueprint front , theiPhone 15 ProandiPhone 15 Pro Maxare virtually identical in every meaningful style except for their noticeable size of it difference . This year , Apple has replaced its unstained brand frame with an graceful brush atomic number 22 finish that add up a different touching of course of instruction . It ’s a more flatness looking and honest matches the textured ice back , which is fundamentally the same material that Apple has used on its iPhone Pro models for the preceding several geezerhood .
The human body and back are coloring material - pair as common , although the choice of colour more nearly matches the raw material theme . Your choices are Natural Titanium , Blue Titanium , White Titanium , and Black Titanium . Did we mention that titanium is a full-grown passel for Apple this year ?
However , there ’s more to the use of titanium than just looks . The switch has allowed the iPhone 15 Pro model to shed some weight ; both models overlook 19 gm over their several harbinger . In practical term , that attain the iPhone 15 Pro Max nigher in system of weights to last year’siPhone 14 Pro — and it ’s a welcome change for those who have shied away from the larger model purely due to its exercising weight .
The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max also get narrower bezels around the screen door and rounded edges on the front and back glass that make it more well-heeled to hold without a font . A new Action push also replaces the traditional pack / still switch on the side . Plus , Apple in conclusion switched out its proprietary Lightning portfor a more standard USB - cytosine embrasure .
These variety come equally to the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max , along withthe same IP68 dust and water resistance as prior models , which rates them for a maximum profundity of 6 meters of water supply for up to 30 mo .
Nevertheless , we think the iPhone 15 Pro Max gets a flimsy bound over its smaller sib this twelvemonth . A enceinte screen door is always nice , but with prior 6.7 - inch iPhone Pro models , the barter - off was dealing with a heftier phone . TheiPhone 14 Pro Maxwas among the with child in its course , outweighing evenSamsung ’s Galaxy S23 Ultra . Thanks to Apple ’s change in material , you’re able to now get the larger screen in a light and more manageable package .
Winner : iPhone 15 Pro Max
iPhone 15 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max: display
The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max characteristic the same always - on Super Retina XDR Display with Apple ’s variable refresh rate ProMotion technology . This allows the iPhone to dynamically adjust the refresh pace from 10Hz to 120Hz , giving you bland scrolling and fast - paced activity when you need it and save index when you do n’t . The covert also drop to 1Hz when in always - on manner .
If you ’re coming from an iPhone 14 Pro model , you wo n’t find any surprise here ; the displays seem identical to what Apple used last twelvemonth . However , that ’s not a bad affair ; Apple ’s Super Retina XDR Display remains one of the best screens you ’ll find on any smartphone today , with vibrant and balanced colors , a larder liquid refresh pace , andan always - on displaythat nothing else can match .
Once again , the obvious difference between the two iPhone 15 Pro models is the sizing , but Apple has made certain that the resolution has been proportionately adjusted for the larger screen so that both iPhones offer the same crispness and lucidity . That think a 2,556 x 1,179 - pixel sieve for the 6.1 - inch iPhone 15 Pro and 2,796 x 1,290 pixels for the 6.7 - inch display on the iPhone 15 Pro Max . That works out to 460 pel per inch ( ppi ) for both .
The displays on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max can also both hit 2,000 nits of outdoor brightness and 1,600 nit of peak brightness , once again mirroring the spec of last yr ’s iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max .
While opting for the iPhone 15 Pro Max will get you a more expansive canvas to work on , that ’s the only display advantage it has over the iPhone 15 Pro . Since not everyone take a big screen , we ’re calling this one a tie .
Winner : Tie
iPhone 15 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max: performance and battery
Although Apple is now reserving its most muscular silicon for its iPhone Pro models . This yr , that ’s the A17 Pro — a new multiplication of silicon that drops Apple ’s “ Bionic ” stigmatisation and promises to turn over the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max into gaming powerhouses .
The A17 Pro has a six - meat CPU that ’s made up of two gamy - execution cores and four high - efficiency cores , plus Apple ’s 16 - core Neural Engine and a new six - core GPU . On paper , that ’s only one more core than anterior A - series buffalo chip , but Apple says it ’s also been importantly redesigned with the biggest change ever made to an Apple GPU , and it ’s been done with a tart focal point on meliorate gaming performance .
For example , the A17 Pro now have hardware - speed up beam tracing and Metal effect upscaling that brings in the Neural Engine to produce the highest - timber graphics you ’ve ever visit on a smartphone . The changes are significant enough that mainstream developer will soonbring actual console games to the iPhone 15 Pro , includingResident Evil Village , Tom Clancy ’s The Division Resurgence , and Ubisoft’sAssassin ’s Creed Mirage .
However , as fantastically knock-down as the young A17 Pro flake is , this is all about gaming carrying into action . You wo n’t see any noticeable speed improvements over the iPhone 14 Pro models in 24-hour interval - to - day use , but it ’s concentrated to imagine how it could be any faster at everyday undertaking like orifice apps and scrolling through webpage and societal media provender since Apple ’s iPhones have offer near - instantaneous reply times for years .
You also wo n’t get any public presentation advantages from the iPhone 15 Pro Max over its small counterpart , as both Pro model have the same A17 Pro chip and pack in the same amount of RAM , which Apple has up this class to 8 gigabyte , compared to 6 GB in the iPhone 14 Pro models . If you ’re a gamer , you ’ll probably want the large presentation , but games will run just as swimmingly on the iPhone 15 Pro as on the iPhone 15 Pro Max .
Still , there ’s one arena in which the iPhone 15 Pro Max wins handily , and that ’s bombardment life . With everything else being adequate , a larger battery means longer bunk times , and the only thing the iPhone 15 Pro Max has that guide more world power than its minor vis-a-vis is the larger screen — and that ’s not enough to make up for that much gravid cubicle inside the 6.7 - inch modeling . While your actual mileage will vary , peculiarly when it amount to gaming , Apple promises 5 to 6 more hours of view video recording and 20 more hours of listening to audio on the iPhone 15 Pro Max . Those numbers are on par with last year ’s iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max , althoughiOS 17seems to have pluck run times down a act across the board .
Sadly , Apple still does n’t extend any faster charging upper . telegraph charging is in the 20 - watt reach , while wireless operates at 15W if you have a MagSafe or aQi2 - compatible chargeror at 7.5W with a stock Qi charger . Technically , the iPhone 15 Pro Max likely draws more power over a wired link — up to 27W if past models are any denotation — but that does n’t give it faster charging time as it also has a big barrage , so it needs more force just to maintain the same charging speed as the iPhone 15 Pro .
Even though the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max offer the same performance and charging speeding , the larger electric battery in the iPhone 15 Pro Max devote it a solid win .
iPhone 15 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max: cameras
Where this year ’s iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max diverge the most is in the photographic camera systems , as Apple has once again pad the optical zoom only on its larger model , giving the iPhone 15 Pro Max more cooking stove than the iPhone 15 Pro .
The only other time this happened was in 2020 with the iPhone 12 batting order , when theiPhone 12 Proretained the 2x telephoto lens from its predecessor , while the iPhone 12 Pro Max get a bump to 2.5x along with a enceinte sensor .
That year , the iPhone 12 Pro Max had a clear photography advantage over the 6.1 - inch manakin , and this class , Apple is echo that by giving the iPhone 15 Pro Max a 5x optical rapid climb for its telephotograph lens . By comparability , the iPhone 15 Pro retains the same 3x lens that ’s been standard since the iPhone 13 Pro .
The understanding for the conflict — both in 2020 and now — seems to be a matter of physics . The smaller 6.1 - in iPhone 12 Pro did n’t have the room for the great sensor Apple wanted to put in three years ago , and Apple ’s unique unexampled 5x tetra - prism lens wo n’t fit into the 6.1 - inch iPhone 15 Pro .
As it is , Apple has rearranged the television camera layout on the iPhone 15 Pro Max to make room for the new camera system . The telephotograph lens , which has been in the top recession since the three - camera design was introduced in 2019 , now moves to the right - inwardness position , below the jiffy . For eubstance , Apple has done the same with the iPhone 15 Pro .
The 5x electron lens on the iPhone 15 Pro Max also maintains the same f/2.8 aperture as the 3x on the iPhone 15 Pro and anterior poser , which is impressive with the increased focal distance . By comparison , theGoogle Pixel 8 Pro , which offers the same 5x optical zoom , comes in at the same f/2.8 , and Samsung ’s Galaxy S23 Ultra has a much narrow f/4.9 aperture ( albeit with a 10x optical zoom ) . This signify that the iPhone 15 Pro Max will be able to entrance just as much light through its telephotograph lens as the iPhone 15 Pro , putting it on equal foothold for lowlight picture taking . In fact , it ’s one of the best 5x cameras we ’ve seen on any smartphone , and the photos captured through it are about indistinguishable in quality from those taken with the main lense .
Other changes that number to both iPhone 15 Pro models are a new 24 - megapixel ( MP ) “ super mellow resolution ” capture mode from the primary sensing element , which retains the 48MP sensor from last yr , plus a unexampled Smart HDR 5 algorithm that anticipate large active range and more true - to - lifespan photos , plus the power to capture profoundness information for every exposure you take , even when Portrait Mode is n’t on . This lets you release any stroke into a portrait shot .
The lenses also gain a nanoscale coat to help reduce lens flare , which helps quite a bit with Nox shots . Both iPhones can also still capture 12MP photograph with a 2x optical rapid climb , thanks to the 48MP sensor , which intend you ’re not losing out on a mid - reach soar by choose for the 5x lens system on the iPhone 15 Pro Max .
In hard-nosed terms , all these upgrades grow incredible - expect photos with very balanced colors that look even more naturalistic , innate , and fun than they did on the iPhone 14 Pro models . The broken light carrying into action is telling , specially on the 5x lens of the iPhone 15 Pro Max , but other than that increased optical zoom divisor , you ’ll find that the iPhone 15 Pro deliver the same fantastic image quality .
However , while both iPhone 15 Pro model have great camera systems , the uncompromising 5x optical rapid climb on the iPhone 15 Pro Max is by far the most compelling intellect to opt for the larger model — and if you locomote a bunch with your iPhone , you ’ll be glad you did , as the higher magnification fix a bad difference in providing more unique photo chance .
iPhone 15 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max: software and updates
Unsurprisingly , the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max ship with the same Io 17 release that ’s now uncommitted for older models and should remain in lockstep for updates for the next several years .
This set both iPhone 15 Pro models on equal ground from a computer software perspective , and the iOS 17 exploiter experience on Apple ’s newest iPhone model should be virtually identical to what other recent models are sustain , except for obvious computer hardware - drug-addicted features like the 5x zoom and the new Action push . Even Apple ’s Roadside Assistance via Satellite , which was announced as part of the iPhone 15 debut , will be making its way of life to the iPhone 14 lineupsince they have the same orbiter capability .
Apple does n’t make specific update promise , but it has a long track record of allow at least five years of updates for its iPhones . This means we can safely expect the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max to take us to at least iOS 22 .
iPhone 15 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max: special features
Although the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max get a few perk over their non - Pro counterparts , neither one has any advantage over the other in this area .
For example , Apple has ( in conclusion ) switch its entire batting order over to USB - C , and with that , the iPhone 15 Pro models get fast 10Gbps USB 3 data transport speeds . With those quick speeds , the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will also be able to capture 4 K ProRes video recording at 60 frames per 2d ( fps ) to international storage gadget ; anterior models are limited to 4K/30fps as they can only employ internal storage . Apple is also add the ability for the iPhone 15 Pro to seize Spatial Videos for Apple ’s new Vision Pro headset when it launch next year .
Both iPhone 15 Pro models also include a young Action push that replaces the ring / silent switch used on Apple ’s iPhones since the very first model do out . It ’s a customizable button that can put your iPhone in unsounded mode and do much more , including found customs routines in Apple ’s Shortcuts app . It ’s arguably the most powerful exploiter interface feature article to come to an iPhone in year ; you ’re sadly limited to assigning it to only a single function , but with ingenious use of Shortcuts , the sky ’s the limit when it come to what you could do with it .
All of these limited features are ( or will be ) available equally on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max , so this one is a dead heat .
iPhone 15 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max: price and availability
The iPhone 15 Pro starts at $ 999 for the base 128 GB version , with 256 GB , 512 GB , and 1 TB capacity available in $ 100/128 GB increments , up to $ 1,499 for the gamy capacity .
The iPhone 15 Pro Max has a slightly higher starting price this class since Apple has eliminated the 128 GB entry - story capacity , putting the base price at $ 1,199 for the 256 GB edition . As with the iPhone 15 professional , it affect up in the same $ 100/128 GB steps , with 512 GB and 1 TB models available for $ 1,399 and $ 1,599 , severally .
Both models are usable in Natural Titanium , Blue Titanium , White Titanium , and Black Titanium and can be purchased from Apple , your carrier , and most other major retailer that sell Apple product .
Overall winner: iPhone 15 Pro Max
Most yr , the only reason to opt for an iPhone Pro Max is to get a larger screen and more battery animation . However , this sentence around , the iPhone 15 Pro Max pulls out further ahead of its little sib thanks to an improved 5x optical zoom on its telephoto lens that has no downside . Plus , the faint atomic number 22 construction means you ’ll need to make one less via media to get the large covert .
However , the haul is that there ’s now a more significant $ 200 price gap between the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max at the entree - level . The cost of the iPhone 15 Pro Max technically has n’t increase from last year , as that toll set about you 256 GB ; there ’s only no longer a more low-cost 128 GB model .
Even with its steep price tag end , we think that theiPhone 15 Pro Max really is deserving shelling out for , as it ’s one of the self-aggrandizing improvements over previous variant and models of the iPhone .
Even so , the iPhone 15 Pro is a very unattackable runner - up and a substantial bargain if you ’re not a photography enthusiast and do n’t really care about the big screen and battery . You ’ll get a dandy camera system with the same A17 Pro chip , a stunning 120Hz always - on video display , and a titanium human body that nominate it the lightest iPhone Pro ever .
